Ph.D. Candidacy Requirements

The Comps

"Comps" is an abbreviation for "comprehensive exams." Currently,
graduate requirements for Ph.D. students include the successful
completion of two "comps": a programming exam and a one-year research
project (which is roughly equivalent to a Master's project).
Click here for helpful advice on taking the
programming comp.

Detailed information about graduate requirements can be found here:

Students who enrolled in September 2013 or later: Use the document labeled
"(as of September 2013)".

Students who enrolled in September 2012: Choose either the "(as of
January 2012)" or "(as of January 2012)" requirement – but you
cannot pick and choose; you must follow one set of requirements to meet
candidacy and to earn the degree. You cannot follow one set of
requirements to reach candidacy and then follow another set for
post-candidacy.

Students who enrolled prior to September 2012: Choose any of the
requirements and then adhere to that set of regulations. You cannot
follow one set of requirements to reach candidacy and then follow
another set for post-candidacy. Your options are "(as of September
2013)", "(as of January 2012)" or "(pre-January 2012)".

Programming comps from recent years

Transferring Courses

Students are encouraged to transfer graduate computer science courses
taken at other institutions. A maximum of 8 courses can be transferred.
Courses outside of computer science can be transferred with the
advisor's and the DGS's approval.

Students must fill out the Application
for Graduate Transfer Credit from the Registrar's Office to transfer
courses into the University. The Faculty and Student Affairs Manager
(Lauren Clarke) will obtain the DGS's signature on the form on your
behalf.

Detailed instructions can be found on both forms. Please submit the
completed original forms to the Faculty and Student Affairs Manager.

Other information

There is a local comps newsgroup
that you should read about the time the programming exam is set.

The Comps Czar

The Comps Czar is one of the
graduate
student jobs in the department. He or she acts as a liaison
between the faculty administering the exams and the students. If you
have a question about the comps, then this is probably a good person
to get in touch with.